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<br /> <br />APPENDIX B <br />SALINITY CONTROL OPPORTUNITIES <br /> <br />T\) <br />(.,"l <br />o <br />(,!,j <br /> <br />Over th~ course of years, the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) and <br />other Federal agencies have conducted studies to locate the numerous <br />sources 6f salinity in the Colorado River Basin and to develop control <br />strategi~s. The following section briefly summarizes many of these studies <br />and desdribes examples of past salinity control efforts. Although some <br />aspects C\lf these projects were originally found to be infeasible, they may <br />become qost effective through local cost sharing, private construction, or <br />other im)ovative approaches, These illustrative examples in no way are <br />meant to limit or restrict either the location or methods that might be <br />proposed for funding under Reclamation's basinwide salinity control <br />program; <br /> <br />Public Law 104-20 authorizes cost-effective measures and associated works <br />to reduc~ salinity from saline springs, leaking wells, irrigation sources, <br />industrial sources, erosion of public and private land, or other sources that <br />the Secr~tary of the Interior (Secretary) considers appropriate, <br /> <br />Ashley'Va/ley Wastewater Treatment Lagoons <br /> <br />The Ashl~y Valley Wastewater Treatment System is a significant source of <br />salt loadihg and selenium to Ashley Creek and the Green River, a tributary <br />of the Colorado River. The system treats sewage for Vernal, Utah, and <br />surroumllng areas, A set of sewage lagoons were constructed on a Mancos <br />Shale bench in the late 1970's to service the area. The lagoons leaked <br />badly, ani:! most of the effluent emerges as saline and seleniferous seeps <br />adjacent to Ashley Creek. These seeps flow about 2,5 cubic feet per second <br />(cfs) and ~ontribute approximately 9,000 tons per year of salt and more than <br />2,000 pO\Ulds per year of selenium to Ashley Creek. While adequately <br />treating the sewage, the leaking lagoons have themselves become a source <br />of salt, seJenium, and other trace elements that are toxic and presently <br />threaten the endangered razorback sucker. Attempts to seal these lagoons <br />have faile\:!. <br /> <br />The lagoor system was overbuilt to handle projected growth that has not <br />occurred, ) During the energy crisis of the late 1970's, it appeared that oil, oil <br />shale, and tar sands development was going to significantly increase the <br />populatiol)., This increased population has not developed, and there is no <br />local payrient capacity to rebuild this system. <br /> <br />An interagency committee consisting of the State of Utah, Environmental <br />Protection Agency, Reclamation, U,S, Fish and Wildlife Service, <br />U,S, Geol<jgical Survey (USGS), and the Ashley Valley Waste Water <br />Treatmen~ District are attempting to resolve this and other irrigation- <br />related salt and selenium issues which also threaten the razorback sucker. <br /> <br />, <br />01 <br /> <br />-~-'- "" ;. <br /> <br />,j <br />1 <br /> <br />" <br />.i <br />':1 <br />t <br />, <br />~ <br /> <br />& <br /> <br />< ~ <br /> <br /> <br />lL ',' ,jj-_-_~~,- <br /> <br />